Study: iPods can cause pacemakers to malfunction

posted at 10:00 am on May 11, 2007 by Allahpundit

iPods can cause cardiac implantable pacemakers to malfunction by interfering with the electromagnetic equipment monitoring the heart, according to a study presented by a 17-year-old high school student to a meeting of heart specialists on Thursday.

The study tested the effect of the portable music devices on 100 patients, whose mean age was 77, outfitted with pacemakers. Electrical interference was detected half of the time when the iPod was held just 2 inches from the patient’s chest for 5 to 10 seconds…

In some cases, the iPods caused interference when held 18 inches from the chest. Interfering with the telemetry equipment caused the device to misread the heart’s pacing and in one case caused the pacemaker to stop functioning altogether.

The study was held at the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Institute at Michigan State University. The results were presented at the Heart Rhythm Society annual meeting in Denver.

The good news is, there probably isn’t much overlap (yet) between the iPod market and the pacemarker market. Exit question: Is this good PR or bad PR for Apple’s newest competitor?

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Check this out. Two summers ago one afternoon, I was walking my dog on a trail in an open field listening to music on my iPod as storm clouds gathered above.

I saw lightning in the distance as the storms approached. Suddenly, a bright flash and loud crash very near to me sent my heart racing uncontrollably to the extent that I almost passed out as I fell to my knees. After a few moments I recovered, got up, turned off and pocketed my iPod, and headed for home – slowly, because my heart was still pounding.

Another iPod/weather-related incident happened recently here in Colorado. A guy was mowing his lawn and listening to his iPod when a lightning strike sent him to the hospital.

Anyway, I can’t be sure if iPods attract lightning but I no longer bring my iPod with me on walks. I’d rather just hear nature’s music and be thankful for every opportunity I can get some fresh air.